What Are the Chances?
by Eimma Roiv
Summary: After the defeat of Naraku, Kagome is sent back to her current timeline without a single goodbye or chance to ask for forgiveness for the lives lost for the sake of her own. Left alone to deal with her guilt and remorse. Three years later, she tries to reclaim her old life and do her best to forget the past, but one day she encounters a man that looks hauntingly similar to Miroku.
1. Routine

Hello,

I've decided to start a new story! I will still be working on How to Raise a Wolf pup and a new chapter should be posted within the next day or two.

All you need to know is that the flashbacks will be in _italics_.

Hope you enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 1: Routine**

Time.

Time had such a different meaning to Kagome than it had to the rest of the world, and at one point it meant the same to her as anyone else. That is, until the day she was pulled into the Bone Eaters well, 500 years into the past.

So much had happened during that time, both good and bad. It had been three years since she had been unwillingly sent back. At times it felt like another lifetime to her, but mostly it all replayed in her mind as if had just happened yesterday. Even now, as she did her best to shove her skeletons in the closet, she would still lie wide awake at night as she would subconsciously think of those memories.

She wished it would stop.

Sure there had been good times, like meeting all of her friends, she had become so close to each and everyone one of them. There was even falling in love for the first time, even if it was with Inuyasha. Even if it had been painful, it was an experience she would never forget or regret.

It was all overshadowed from the fateful day Naraku's terror would end. It was also the last day, although unknowingly, the last day she would see any of her friends.

_The time they had all been waiting for had finally arrived, all those wronged had gathered in one area ready to fight. _

_It was the final battle with Naraku._

_ Kagome, along with her friends, had finally gathered almost all of the Shikon Jewel shards. While Naraku held a large piece, Kagome held a few of her own, along with the two Kouga had.  
_

_In the immediate area Sesshomaru, minus Rin, Kouga with a a few members of his pack, and the Inutachi gang were gathered around Naraku. Damage had been done, but they all remained courageous doing their best not to let it dampen their spirits. They had all had enough of the chaos that he had brought, and not one person was going to allow this to last even one more day._

_Kagome was frightened, as she watched her friends rushing forward and retreating, putting all force into their attacks. She stayed back, she had been hovering over Kohaku's body. Mere minutes ago, Naraku finally retrieved the shard from his back. To the utter horror of the group, he laid motionless on the floor ever since.  
_

_Sango had made a voice of pure anguish, one that kept playing over and over into Kagome's head. But that anguish soon turned into anger and hatred, and Sango did not falter in taking it out on Naraku. Kagome looked over at her best friend, as tears flew from her eyes and she relentlessly attacked._

_ Kagome gripped the arrow and bow tighter into her hands, but she couldn't stop the trembling._

_"I have to be strong..." she whispered harshly to herself. To falter now? Of all times?! There should be no hesitation, but she was scared. She was afraid of the other lives that this battle would cost her.  
_

_She laughed bitterly as she remembered the words Inuyasha would constantly barrrage her and her human companions with. She was just a pathetic, weak human.  
_

_Suddenly strong hands gripped her shoulders, forcing her to face in the direction of the battle. She was met by a pair of violet eyes._

_"Kagome-sama, you need to snap out of it!" Miroku's usual playful and teasing voice, now serious and slightly harsh. Though she knew it wasn't his intention to be, as he eyes clearly showed his concern for her.  
_

Kagome sat up in her bed quickly, she didn't want to think about this again. She'd replayed the battle over and over in her head for the last three years, thinking of every single detail.

She looked at the bottle of pills on her nightstand, the ones that had been prescribed to her not too long after she got back. Ever since then she had a severe case of insomnia, but she hated taking the pills. They put her to rest, but the unnerving feeling they gave her made her resistant to take them. Sure, they would block the memories that stuck with her everyday since then, for the next eight hours, but she never got to dream.

Kagome felt like the memories of her past were like nightmares, that not only haunted her but robbed her of her dreams.

She sighed. And like she had done every night, since she had been prescribed the pills, she took one after she couldn't take it anymore.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

The medication made Kagome wake up groggy, but she was much more rested than on those rare nights where she refused to take the pills. She climbed out of bed and into the shower, hoping that it would make the day more tolerable.

After her shower and changing into her clean clothes, which consisted of a traditional priestess outfit that her grandfather forced her to wear. It was not much different from the one that Kikyo wore in the past, which left an uneasy feeling in her stomach. She didn't need anymore painful reminders, but with their limited budget she refused to outwardly complain. Kagome felt selfish if she demanded for a different version, simply because her current one displeased her. The only good thing was that no one in the future knew what Kikyo looked like, so therefore she received no comparisons. She was simply Kagome, this thought left her with a small smile.

After her return, Kagome finished high school but she struggled through it. She was incredibly behind and worked her butt off just to make sure she passed. Which of course meant she didn't get into any good schools, but that was okay with her. Her family knew she was struggling, and after throwing herself into school work not only to catch up, but to busy herself from thinking of pesky thoughts, her mother suggested she took some time off and help out around the shrine.

Which thanks to her help, had much more business than it ever had. Kagome took the knowledge she gained from Kaede and put it into modern practice. She taught her grandfather of the medicinal herbs she knew of in the past, and after acquiring some she helped make a herbal garden where her family sold the remedies. Which turned out to be a great hit, it was not uncommon to find those seeking medical assistance that didn't come from a bottle. These were much more natural, with far fewer side effects.

Kagome would also help draw attention and visitors with her demonstrations with her archery skills, she had been a big hit with archery throughout her high school years. Then and even to this day, it was something she looked forward to.

She walked down the stairs and took her seat besides her grandfather at the table, as her mother served her food. It was early in the morning, yet her grandfather scolded her for coming down later than she was supposed to. "Kagome, you need to learn to get up earlier. There is much to do before we open the shrine up today, we are already behind schedule." he grandfather lectured her.

"I'm sorry, grandpa. I slept in longer than I planned to." Kagome shrugged.

She ignored the disheartened look her grandfather gave her, she could tell he felt bad having scolding her about sleep after she had difficulty doing so in the first place. Even after so much time had passed, Kagome constantly felt the pity from her family. She learned long ago that snapping at them about it only made them pity her more, so she endured it silently. Having already finished his breakfast he stood up, "Very well, I'll start sweeping the stairs, you take care of the courtyard after you finish your breakfast."

Before she could protest about his age and health, he made haste out the front door. She looked to her mother, "The doctor told him not to do extraneous tasks, and the those stairs are not easy to tackle."

"He's doing his best Kagome, besides you know he yearns to be more helpful." her mother replied.

Kagome sighed, "Yeah but we all know he can't do all the stuff he used to. I wish he'd let me take care of the busywork, besides he gets to tell his stories and legends and work the storefront."

"Your grandfather knows his limits, he won't push himself too far. Besides, there's no arguing with him at this point. If anyone knows how stubborn he is, it should be you. That's something you took after him." she said with a small laugh.

Kagome rolled her eyes, a smile forcing her way to her lips. She quickly finished her breakfast, and went outside. She wanted to get as much done as possible, the more she did, the less her grandpa would have to do.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

The day had gone by smoothly as any other, a reasonable amount of people had come and gone. Kagome sighed as she approached her usual target, ready for her archery demonstration. It was fairly obvious how worn down it was that it was commonly used. She knew that it would eventually have to be replaced, but she wanted to make sure she used it as much as possible before then. This had been the same target she'd used since she had returned. In a way, she supposed this is where she left out most of her steam. To replace it, might represent her actually letting go of the past. But she wasn't quite ready for that.

As the crowd grew around her from a safe distance, she notched and arrow and raised her arm slowly and steadily pulling the string back. With practiced movements she pulled the string near her face, and without hesitation let the arrow fly.

It was after lunchtime, which meant it was the slowest part of her day. They recently started trying to sell food, her mother spending countless hours preparing. It was fairly properly, people spent more time around the shrine, which meant more items were sold at the shop than they used to be.

After having put her archery equipment away, Kagome attended to her next favorite part of the day. Which was tending to her herb garden. She walked over to the small makeshift greenhouse her family had made, and went to work. Pulling out weeds, and making sure the soil was in tip top shape.

Kagome was on her knees, a basket in hand, as she picked the herbs that were ready. Carefully and with practiced grace, she placed the herbs neatly in the basket. She had grown so used to this process that she didn't need name tags to tell her which herb was what. She could tell by the color, shape, and smell of the herb she held and all the medicinal uses it provided.

She heard footsteps enter the greenhouse, which she paid no mind to. It wasn't uncommon for visitors to come and watch her work, she supposed it gave them a better image of her medicinal herbs. Proving that they were in fact homegrown, and very natural. She made it a point to not use any chemicals on any of her plants.

To others she supposed her life was simple, it didn't change much. This was her everyday, it was practically identical to any other. It was her new routine. But she liked it that way, the repetitive pattern of everyday was somehow soothing to her. She didn't have to worry about the unexpected because everything had become so predictable. For the first time in a long time, she was finally started to settle. Kagome knew one day, she'd be normal again.

"Do you tend to the herbs all on your own?" she heard a curious voice of the visitor speak.

It sounded vaguely familiar, she thought maybe he was a frequent visitor. She didn't bother casting the stranger a glance and continued with her work and mused, "Yes, sadly I'm the only one with a green thumb in my family."

"It seems like a lot of work for one person to take on." she heard him say with a chuckle.

She shrugged with a content smile, "It's not that bad, I find it relaxing."

"I also witnessed your archery demonstration earlier today, to say I was mesmerized by you would be taking it lightly." he complimented her, and he cheeks felt slightly warm. She was used to compliments, she didn't know why she felt so bashful today. He continued, "Forgive me for interrupting, but your grandfather told me you would help me find the proper herb that I was looking for."

Her new visitor was certainly fairly chatty, usually people watched her in silence as she worked on her herb garden. Suddenly feeling rude she hurriedly placed the rest of the herbs she needed in her basket. "I'm sorry, for being so rude. I'm almost doe."

"Beauty, grace, and kindness. It's like you're an actual priestess from the Feudal Era." he teasingly replied.

Kagome scoffed slightly standing up, she dusted herself off. She'd had many kinds of visitors, but she'd never had any flirt with her is blatantly. She turned to face her visitor, and she eyes widened in utter surprise.

She paled and a lump formed in her throat, she looked a the stranger and it felt like her world was crumbling. It was like she was staring at a ghost, a phantom from her past.

Her breath hitched and she spoke, "M-Miroku-sama?"

* * *

A/N:

I've decided for now on, all author comments will stay at the bottom of my stories, after the first chapter. As to not confuse the readers! So if you're looking for any hidden notes (if any), just check down here.

Please leave a comment to let me know how you like the story so far.

Have any suggestions? I'd love to hear them, but please bear in that I will take it into consideration though it will ultimately come to my decision how this story will go.

Thanks for reading!


	2. A Simple Misunderstanding

Flashback are in _italics._

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 2: **

**A Simple Misunderstanding  
**

Kagome didn't remember falling, she felt as though the act of her legs giving out should have been quite a vivid memory. It was clear to see that it had been in fact true, as she felt a dull pain from her knees, which she figured got scraped along the way.

Luckily for her Miroku managed to catch her. Well sort of, she was grateful he managed to keep her from tumbling to the ground, he kept a strong grip on her shoulders. She had a vague feeling of wanting to reach out and touch him, to see if this was real. Or had she been dreaming? But she hadn't had a dream in years.

She could hear him trying to tell her something, but she couldn't quite understand. She knew her body was reacting to the shock, but she couldn't quite get herself to snap out of it.

Suddenly her legs were swooped from right under her and she realized she was being carried by Miroku, she heard more familiar voices as she slipped into unconsciousness.

The next time Kagome woke up she immediately could tell she was in the living room inside her home, laying on the couch. She felt something cold and wet on her forehead, she reached to grab it and noticed it was a wet towel.

Her mother walked over as if to change her towel and noticed that she had finally awoken. "Kagome, I'm so glad you're awake." she smiled but looked at her daughter with concern. She knelled next to her daughter on the couch.

"What happened?" Kagome asked, she placed a hand to her head as she felt a headache coming on.

Her mother took the towel from her hands and placed the back of her free hand against Kagome's forehead, "You fainted in the greenhouse. Fortunately, a young man was there to catch you, thank goodness he was there when he was."

"M-man? What man? What happened to him?" Kagome asked confused. She had thought she hallucinated that part. It was impossible to think someone was with her, because she could've sworn it had been Miroku.

She smiled at Kagome, "Well he's in the kitchen, of course. I've offered him tea as a show of our gratitude, he even insisted on staying until you woke up. I think you caused him quite the fright."

Kagome's eyes widened considerably, could it be _possible_?

"I'll get you a change of clothes, and your bed ready. After we see to our guest, I think it would be important for you to rest." her mother mused as she stood up.

Kagome nodded her head slowly. She thought about telling her mom, but decided against it. She needed to know herself first, to prove herself wrong. She didn't want her mother to think her crazy, to delusion herself into seeing long since passed friends.

After Kagome was sure that her mother had left the room, she bolted up and quickly headed for the kitchen. She figured she should stop herself and not enter the room so wildly but it couldn't be helped. She quickly made her way through the doorway that lead to her kitchen.

There he was. Miroku standing in her kitchen.

He glanced over at her with a concerned smile. She let out a shaky breath, his name passing through her lips once more in a broken whisper.

Something was off, however, he didn't look at her the same way Miroku had. The way he would've looked at her after seeing her after so many years. Something wasn't right. She watched him very carefully.

No he wasn't Miroku.

Though he looked strikingly similar, he could be Miroku's twin. His hair was shorter, cut into a more modern hairstyle, and he didn't have a small ponytail. He was also missing the earring Miroku always wore. It had also occurred to her that he stood before her wearing a t-shirt and a pair of jeans, no staff in sight.

His eyes were what haunted her the most, they were eerily similar. They were violet with a tint of mischief behind them.

"That's the second time you've referred to me with that name." he said aloud thoughtfully.

She felt her face heat up considerably, how embarrassing. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't meant to offend you." she sputtered.

He chuckled, "It's quite alright. Your mother told me some about you, you would be Kagome Higurashi, correct?"

"Y-yes. Pleased to meet you." she bowed on instinctively.

She heard him chuckle once more and bowed in return, "My name is Hikaru Satou. To say that these turn of events was unexpected is quite the understatement, I take it you're feeling better."

He moved closer but Kagome didn't move, stiff from shock. He placed his hand against her forehead, brushing her bangs aside. He looked down at her with a smile, "It seems that the fever your mother mentioned is gone. That's a relief." he said as he retreated his hand back to his own person.

"I-I'm feeling much better now." she mumbled, her face heating up once more. She tried to look anywhere but into his eyes, for some reason they scared her. She knew he wasn't Miroku, but to face him was almost as if she were looking at the Miroku she once knew 500 years in the past.

Luckily her mother returned before either could speak, "I see you've been officially acquainted." she started with a warm smile, "I hate to sound rude, but I think Kagome's had a long day. I don't want to rush you out, but I think she should rest now."

"No worries. I should be heading out myself." he looked over at her mother.

She nodded and lead him towards the door, Hikaru was still within Kagome's sight. "Of course you're more than welcome to visit whenever you'd like. We are very grateful for all of your help."

"I think I'll take you up on your offer. Don't be surprised to see me so soon." he spoke, but his gaze had shifted and landed on Kagome's form. As if he were speaking to her, she shivered from the anticipation.

She wanted to see him again soon.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Kagome hoped the aspirin she took would take effect soon, her usual groggy headache was considerably worse from the events that transpired yesterday. While the whole fiasco had exhausted her, still she couldn't fall asleep without the help of her medication.

Much to her annoyance, both her mother and her grandfather refused to let her help in the chores. She was forced to rather 'rest' while her mother helped with the chores Kagome usually did, they even managed to get her little brother Souta to help.

She still had not informed her mother about who Hikaru really was, or rather whom he looked like. She didn't want to bother her mother with anymore of her problems, for the past three years her mother struggled with her as she was emotionally distraught. There was never a time her mother was not there to support her in every way she could.

Kagome watched her family work on her daily chores from the kitchen window. Her routine was broken, and she desperately wanted to resume it. It was the only way for her to stop her pestering thoughts.

She focused on her younger brother. He had grown considerably since she first fell in the well, he was taller and Kagome had no doubt that any day now he'd be taller than her. He was also much more moody than he had been before, after hearing he would no longer be able to see Inuyasha anymore he was more than upset. She feared that it was the reason he grew distant from her over the years, but sometimes he would show her kindness. On the nights where the sounds of her sobs undoubtedly reached his room, he'd come console her by sleeping beside her. For there wasn't much else he could do.

Which was probably why he wasn't complaining _as much_ as he normally would about helping their family with the chores she normally did. Kagome was grateful for him, well for _all _of her family.

Kagome thought of Hikaru, but that just made her think of Miroku. Without realizing it she let mind resume the memory she last left off on, the night before last.

_Kagome's voice was hitched in throat, she desperately wished to speak but she had no words to offer her monk friend.  
_

_His grip on her shoulders grew tighter, and she whimpered. She wondered if he realized his strength, she was certain that if held on just a moment longer she was sure to have bruises._

_"Kagome-sama, I know you are afraid. But now is not the time to mourn our loses, we must continue forward. We desperately need your powers." Miroku urged. He could see his words weren't getting across to her._

_She shook her head, "Miroku-sama, I don't know if I can. I don't think I'm strong enough." Kagome could still hear the battle that went on, she looked past him for just a second to see that her friends weren't fairing so well. If something wasn't done soon, more would perish.  
_

_"You are, Kagome-sama. I've seen you perform miracles, and I know you can do it again. At least once more. Today." his voice was desperate. He felt ill for putting his friend under tremendous pressure, unfortunately today would not be kind to any of them. He could not show her kindness, he would make up for his harshness another day. He was sure she would forgive him. _

_She bit her lip and inhaled the air and her voice was ragged, "Okay, Miroku-sama." She pushed past him and lifted her bow and arrow, with her arrow notched she pulled the string back._

Kagome willed herself to stop, she'd only just begun her day. She did not want to end up in tears so early in the day. She would be completely useless to her family.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

The archery demonstration for the day had been cancelled which left many disappointed, herself included. Her grandfather expressed that she needed to take the time to rest, and no matter how much she protested it fell on deaf ears. She was forced to do menial tasks, such as greeting guests, giving tours, and such. Not that she would usually mind on any other given day, but she was grumpy from not having been allowed to practice.

After a while, Kagome noticed the guests had dwindled down to a smaller number. Her family could survive if she went off on her own for a little while.

"Mama, if you need me I'll be at the herb garden." she called to her mother.

Who in turned gave her a concerned look, "Are you sure, Kagome? That is where you had your fainting spell."

"I'll be fine, Mama. It wasn't the herbs, I told you. I just didn't drink enough water." she resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She wanted to stay on her mother's good side.

Her mother sighed, "Well, all right. I'll check on you later."

Without so much as a nod, Kagome hurriedly made her way to the greenhouse. To be honest there wasn't any need to go into the garden today, she had managed to do what she needed on a weekly basis the day before. And her grandfather had already watered her plants, but she needed a peaceful environment. And this was her go-to place.

She rested herself on the bench provided, and sighed. It was after lunchtime once more, most of the visitors had gone. So she had the luxuriously of having silence.

Kagome closed her eyes, and inhaled. The room smelled of fresh soil and foliage, which reminded her of Kaede. She had been one of the few people Kagome could confide to with anything, she knew any secret she spilled as they both worked in the herb garden back at her village would remain between the two. Kaede was very knowledgeable and whether Kagome liked it or not, her advice was spot on and always worth following. She missed the older women, and would do anything to have her guidance.

Her peace was interrupted when she heard footsteps.

"Higurashi-sama, do not tell me you've fainted once more. The same time and place as a matter of fact, do you make it a habit of worrying your family? Or is this how you pick up men? Though I suppose I am not complaining." his voice was so eerily familiar. His teasing voice, it had not changed since then.

She opened her eyes and saw Hikaru watching her intently, his eyes twinkled with amusement. "Satou-san, what brings you back? You were only here yesterday." her voice wavered and she silently scolded herself.

Kagome was glad to see him, he came back sooner than she could've hoped for. She also didn't want him to know that.

"I did say I'd be back sooner than you'd expect. I still could use your self help with those herbs I asked about yesterday. It was also a very good excuse to meet you again, you are surely a sight to be seen." he added with a wink.

Her cheeks flushed and she did her best to hide it, but guessing from his laughter he most definitely saw. She stood up, "What exactly were you looking for?"

"Higurashi-sama, have you by chance had lunch yet?" he asked, ignoring her question.

Kagome shook her head, "I usually eat lunch after tending to the herb garden. Satou-san, wouldn't you-"

"Very well, neither have I. I've heard great things about your mother's curry, shall we?" he cut her off and offered his arm, "I'd much be happier to be in your presence knowing you took care of yourself. I wouldn't want you to faint again, not that I wouldn't mind catching you."

She was lost for words, she looked at his arm cautiously before taking it. He lead her back to her house to eat.

They ended up enjoying their lunches under the Goshinboku tree, much to the irony. He chose the spot after all. It served as her link to her past, something other than the well that she knew was also back with her friends.

After finishing their food, Kagome finally decided to break the silence, "So Satou-san, you said you needed an herb?"

"Yes, my father has come down with an illness. He experiences intense pain but refuses to take the medicine the doctors provided. I thought he'd take something if he knew it was herbal, especially if it came from a shrine. He is very religious, and I'm sure he'd be ecstatic to visit one day." he finally explained.

Kagome refused to really look at Hikaru, focusing straight ahead of her, "I'm sorry to hear about your father, and I do have something that will help him." she continued more hesitantly, "Would you say _you_ were religious as well?"

"It might sound surprising but yes. My family owns it's own shrine, but it's quite a ways from here. Ever since I was younger, my father taught me all there was to learn. So that I can one day take over there shrine." he offered her.

Kagome was elated, "So you are a monk?" she did her best to hide the amusement in her voice.

"Why yes, Higurashi-sama. How did you know? Most people assume I am a priest." he asked pleasantly surprised.

She bit back her laughter, "Lucky guess? I think I should refer to you as Satou-sama, I had no idea you were also in charge of a shrine."

"Not by choice. I enjoy my time at the shrine, but I also yearn for knowledge I suppose. I'm go to a college in the city, I specialize in philosophy." he noted animatedly.

Small chuckles escaped her, "That sounds very interesting." And so Miroku.

"I suppose. But Higurashi-sama, I'd much prefer it if you called me by my first name. I insist, I feel like my father." he suddenly changed the subject.

She bit her lip, "Ah. I guess I can." she paused for a moment, "Hikaru-sama." An uneasy feeling was left in her stomach. "I suppose it'd only be fair for you to use my name too."

"Of course, Kagome-sama." he responded.

Kagome's head spun, and she cast a quick glance at Hikaru's face. It was the first time that day, that she allowed herself to really look at his face. He graced her with a content smile. She ignored the uneasy feeling in her stomach, she knew she was being selfish. She really wanted to hear him speak her name again, but she would keep that thought to herself.

Kagome stood up quickly, "If you'll follow me, I'll get you the herb you wanted." She needed him to leave, all she saw was Miroku and she felt terrible. No one deserved to be compared to another.

She led him into a small shed which was located past her herbal garden, at the back of the house. "This is where I keep stock of most of my herbs. I hadn't realized we'd ran out, and it seemed my Grandpa has once again forgotten my lessons. He still has problems with remembering which herb was which."

"Are you in charge of all the herbs?" he asked mystified, "I was under the impression that it was your grandfather who taught you. He seems rather adamant on proving how great of a priest he is. Were did _you _come across this knowledge?" He was impressed by her.

She hummed nervously, running her fingers across the brown paper bags looking for he correct herb, "Um, that is. My family used to send me to a very distant relative, very far away. She herself was a priestess who lived in a very rural area, she taught me."

"I see." if Hikaru didn't know any better, he'd say she was lying to him. Though who was he to call her out on such an act, an air of mystery shrouded the girl.

She grasped a small paper bag, "Ah! Here it is. I'm sure this will make your father feel better in no time!" Kagome gingerly placed the small package into Hikaru's hand. Though he didn't keep his eyes off her form.

"Have me met before?" he asked ignoring the small paper bag in his hands.

Kagome's felt like her heart skipped a beat for moment. She nervously fumbled, subconsciously stepping back and away from him. "I don't believe so, besides yesterday that is. Perhaps you've visited the shrine before, we have been getting many visitors lately."

"Hm, I don't think that's it." he said thoughtfully, taking a few steps closer.

She took more steps back, wanting as much distance as possible from him. But the small shed only provided so much room. "I-I think maybe you should go. It's getting late, your father would appreciate the medicine since it is a day late. No thanks to me!" she laughed nervously, though her amusement wasn't shared.

He took some more steps, not breaking eye contact with her. Kagome desperately wanted to look away but it was as if he had her under some kind of spell, but more than anything she needed him to leave. Allowing him in her life, in any form, couldn't be healthy, it was best for the both of them if he left and never returned.

"You should go." she whispered again. He was much closer and her back was pressed up against the free wall, she had no where else to go.

He tilt his head to one side, stepping closer, "Do I frighten you, Kagome-sama?"

"No." she answered quickly. _Liar. _He terrified her, because her brought up memories she tried to bury. He terrified her, because he was so much like her friend she thought she'd never see again. He terrified her, because she _didn't_ want him to go.

He came closer and she squeezed her eyes shut, hoping he hadn't seen the tears that had begun to form in her eyes.

Hikaru didn't take a single step closer, instead he placed his hand on her head, petting her hair gently, "Will you allow me to visit you? I'd very much like to see you more." Kagome felt as though he were treating her like a child, it was not uncommon for Miroku to do the same.

Say no. Say no. Say no.

"Yes." she said as she opened her eyes and made contact with his.

His playful eyes, were far more serious than usual. He didn't understand why, but he wanted to be near her.

"Kagome, are you still in here? It's getting late, and we're going to close up-" she paused as she noticed Hikaru in the small storage room with her daughter.

Hikaru cautiously moved away from the younger girl and bowed deeply, "Thank you, Kagome-sama. I am in your debt."

She didn't speak but only nodded dumbly at him. He looked up at her sharing the playful look that had once again returned to his violet eyes.

He dismissed himself from them both, taking the package in his hands and heading towards the exit of the compound.

"Is something the matter, sweetie?" her mother stepped into the storage shed, with her obviously frazzled daughter.

Kagome shook her head and quickly exited the shed, walking past her mother. The need for fresh air was great. What was Hikaru? At first she thought maybe he was Miroku's reincarnation, like she was Kikyo's. But he seemed to_ recognize _her, if somewhat vaguely. Without prior knowledge she had no idea who Inuyasha, Kaede, or even for Kikyo was! She never felt like she had insight or déjà vu.

Kagome desperately wanted to know more about this man who looked like Miroku and for the first time in a long time she looked forward to something.

* * *

**A/N:**

I'm considering getting a Beta Reader, for both of my ongoing works. I suppose I'd prefer one of my readers to help, since all of you have been following the story. If you are interested in either "How to Raise a Wolf Pup" and/or "What are the Chances?" (though I'd prefer if you could help with both) and would be interested in being my Beta, please send me a PM and we will work something out. Thanks!

Comments to certain reviews:

**Fairy Demon26: **Thanks for letting me know! I have a bad habit of getting too excited and not putting in enough effort to make sure I don't make those type of mistakes. Which I usually do. ;; I've looked over and made some chances, I hope I caught them all. Feel free to let me know if and when I have any more errors.

A special thank you to the story follows/favorites/reviews that I've received thus far! They're very motivational. c:


End file.
